As soon as I hear the first honk I'm running out of my bedroom.
"ROSE!", I hear from the back
Ah. So close. Not quick enough.
"If your god damn friends don't stop comin' round here honking that horn, heads will roll!", my grandma yells, "I don't know how many times I have to tell that boy, if he doesn't stop I will cut his brakes!"
"You love John B and no amount of honking will change that!", I yell back, "if you cut his brakes how else will he come help you when you can't figure out the AC?"
Silence.
Rose-1 Grandma-0. Today might be a good day, usually I can't get the last word.
I take that as my chance to escape before she decided to make me go to the store with her.
I make sure to close the door behind me carefully and run to the van, making sure to give John B a certain hand gesture to show my unhappiness.
Pope slides the door open and I hop in, "Dude I don't know how many times I can argue with her over some honking. Is a text too much to ask for?"
John B turns around to sarcastically gasp at me, "Are you asking me to break the law and text while I'm controlling a vehicle?"
"My guy, you just took your eyes off the road to make a sarcastic comment", I roll my eyes, "besides there's usually at least two other people in here at all times."
"Sorry, too busy scheming.", JJ decides to chime in.
"Pope, some help here?", I ask
"Well, to be fair, we were actually trying to decide what to do", he shrugs
I cross my arms over my chest, "yeah whatever, like we don't do the same things everyday."
"Hey keep doing that for a minute?", JJ asks while I catch him looking at my chest.
I sigh and kick him in the shin. I've been with them for a total of five minutes, wow this must be some kind of new record.
JJ gasps, bringing his leg up to rub while Kie laughs at him, "serves you right, asshole"
"So what has your scheming brought us to do today?", I ask.
Not that I expect much. We really do the same things almost every day.
Fishing, surfing, swimming, hanging out on John B's boat, causing general mayhem, and can't forget getting drunk off gross beer.
I still don't like fishing, but will accept that it's one of the only things this place is good for. What else are you gonna do when you live next to the ocean?
I finally agreed to let them attempt to teach me how to surf.
It's been an on going argument since I learned how to swim, but I finally admit defeat.
I'm still not the strongest swimmer and they keep telling me wiping out on a board will help me get better.
So it's that or fishing and I guess I'll take the possibility of drowning.
"We're going to that old turtle sanctuary again."
"Kie, again? The only thing that does is get you upset about the turtles.", I try to remind her
She sighs, "Yeah, but maybe if we keep going it'll annoy the owners?"
"Ahh yes, I see now. Petty revenge.", I nod
She nods along with me, "exactly!"
I get distracted somewhere along the short drive. I seem to get lost in thought a lot.
I usually start wondering where my brother is. What he's doing. I think about if he thinks about me. I know it's a stupid thing to wonder and I always tell myself to stop. He left me when I needed him and nothing would change that.
Yet I still find myself wondering every once in a while.
I was pulled out of my head when John B pulled up in front of the house and stopped the car, "andddd we have arrived."
I'm not really sure how or why we started hanging out here. It's just a half finished house, but it's something to do I guess?
We all hop out of the van and head up to the porch, which does have a very nice view.
That's one thing I'm not sure I could ever get used to.
The ocean is such a scary, but beautiful thing to me. There's so much we don't know about it and that scares the shit out of me. The crazy depth, the not knowing what is in there at any given moment. I still hate being in there and a fish or piece of whatever brushes up against you. Ugh.
On the other hand, it again can be so beautiful. Ever sat on the beach, still drunk and watched the sun rise? Like a really good sun rise, not just a normal one.
The kind where the sun sends out so many colors. Red, purple, pink, orange, or all of them mixed together. Watching that happen over the ocean is probably one of the prettiest things I've ever seen.
Getting to do it with my favorite people is also a plus.
Just imagine it.
Imagine your favorite people, all sprawled on some towels and blankets, still awake from the day before so you're all giggly, just laying there watching the waves crash and the sky is exploding with all these amazing colors. It makes you just want to stay in that moment forever. That moment where you're all happy and comfortable, genuinely happy. Just enjoying everything, that is until JJ farts.
Then the moment is over and everyone starts yelling because the wind blew it back and have to run away from the awful, awful smell.
But the moment before the fart is absolutely perfect.
"Earth to Rose?"
I'm again pulled out of my thoughts, this time by a hand waving in front of my face.
I shake my head, "Yeah, sorry, what's up?"
"Well we were discussing what odds John B here has of surviving a fall from up there.", JJ tells me, "but it seems you're having much more fun in that head of yours."
"Just thinking. I say he could survive that fall depending how he falls.", I shrug.
There's that smirk again, "You're thinking about me aren't you? You totally are, I know it."
"Actually yes I was."
His eyebrows go up, "Really?"
"Yeah remember when we were all laying on the beach and you farted? You ruined that very nice moment."
"What was I supposed to do? Just keep it in? No!", he groans, but is cut off by Kie coming out of the house.
"They're gonna have Japanese toilets with towel warmers."
Oh here she goes. I knew this would happen. Always upsets her thinking about those poor turtles.
"This used to be a turtle habitat, but who cares about the turtles, I guess?"
"We care about them, Kie, we care.", I tell her
She nods before looking up at John B, "Can you please not kill yourself?"
And JJ being is oh so caring self, "Don't spill that beer. I'm not giving you another one."
And what happens?
He wobbles and the beer falls from his hands of course.
"Of course you did!"
"A-plus.", Pope coming through with some sarcasm
Kie rolls her eyes, "dumbass."
"Hey uh security's here.", Pope warns us, "let's wrap it up."
"Boys are early today."
"Humpty Dumpty, let's roll!"
"Let's go boys and girl.", Kie says with a smirk. She's been spending too much time with JJ
Speaking of JJ, "Gary, is that you?"
"You know it's me!"
"Gary, good to see ya man!"
And we start running. It's exhilarating really, running, knowing any minute you could be caught.
We all run while laughing and skidding around corners.
"Not much of a hugger!", I hear JJ say behind me
"Go Rose, Go go go go go!"
I try to jump over the fence while laughing, which obviously didn't work because I fell flat on my face.
I try to get up while groaning, but am suddenly being lifted up.
"Let's go, baby girl, fatso's coming." JJ says
"Bus is leaving!", John B yells
The boys yell out to Gary, taunting him, while Kie and I try to not laugh while getting them to stop.
"Check out Gary, gunnin' for a raise!", Pope laughs
"You're gonna give him a heart attack!", Kie tries
"You're so close! You can do it! There ya go!" JJ yells while throwing his beer can.
"JJ , man, the poor guys just doing his job!", I try to not laugh
"Oh, come on! That sort of initiative is just begging to be punished."
They finally close the door and we fall over laughing.
There it is again. A moment I want to live in forever and JJ didn't even fart this time.
